Question:

A member from NY asked Dan Bartley and Kevin Connors the following questions: Can you provide VOTF members with three things: 1. An explanation of the events leading up to the financial crisis last summer. 2. A list of all the specific steps you have taken to ensure that such a crisis is less likely to occur in the future. 3. Additional actions, including minimum annual contributions per member, that VOTF members must take to place VOTF on a sustainable financial foundation for long-term growth. Thank you.

 

Answer:

Thank you for those important questions regarding VOTF’s financial condition as they get to the very heart of VOTF’s long-term viability as an organization. After all, without the financial support necessary to run the organization our ability to accomplish our mission and goals will be greatly diminished.

There were a number of factors that brought about the financial crisis. Our new strategic plan, Voices in Action, had not yet been rolled out, we were in the lull of the summer months and the depth and extent of the recession was not yet fully realized. Unfortunately we were caught off guard when these factors occurred simultaneously. Fortunately, our members responded to the crisis with overwhelming generosity giving the board, officers and staff the opportunity to make the changes necessary to move us forward.

As result of the crisis we realized that we needed to change the way we approach our fund raising and budgeting activities. We realized that we needed to be more diligent, creative and accountable for the financial well- being of VOTF. As such, the officers, executive director, office staff and board took a fresh look at how we conduct the financial affairs of the organization. In short, we needed a plan that would address our short term needs while providing a clear, measurable, path for long-term financial viability.

Our approach was to review all our fund raising activities and ask ourselves several questions: How can we improve on what we do now? How can we share (decentralize) the responsibility and explore new fund raising initiatives? And how can we best articulate the direct link between Voices in Action and donor support.

To manage this new approach, we organized our fund raising efforts into specific fund raising activities. In this way we could effectively share the responsibility among our various leadership teams, plan and track the results, and keep new potential fund raising initiatives clearly on our radar screen.

At the most basic level, we raise money by snail mail appeals, email appeals and ongoing personal contact with major donors. We need to continually ask ourselves how we can improve each of these activities while initiating new fund raising activities, for example, greater participation by our affiliates in national fund raising efforts.

The underlying foundation for each of these activities is Voices in Action. If we look at ourselves from a business perspective, our product is our ability to facilitate church reform. Our “customer base”, our audience, is quite large. It includes existing members as well as other reform minded Catholics. This is why the successful execution of Voices in Action is so essential. As we execute Voices in Action we will report our progress, both internally and externally, our membership will grow and our financial condition will improve. When Catholics realize that meaningful change is possible, I have no doubt they will support us with their time, talent and treasure.

Like Voices in Action itself, the driving force behind this fundraising approach is the model “we are all in this together.” Fundraising for VOTF is not someone else’s responsibility it’s all of our responsibility. In order for us to be successful we all must do our part.

I remain convinced that if we execute Voices in Action well, increased financial support and meaningful Church reform will follow.

Dan Bartley